Not the person behind Scottsdalian, but the screen-name Scottsdalian.
Reason? I'm not going to be living in Scottsdale, AZ anymore.
Explanation: My job is taking me to San Francisco!
Tragically, Scottsdalian will not be able to finally enjoy urban living in the City of San Francisco. (Atrios would be sad.) The City is just soooo damned expensive, Mr and Mrs Scottsdalian just couldn't justify. ;-(
Instead we have to return to the humdrum of suburban living once again. ;-(
Within the next 3 weeks, I will be officially departing Arizona. Top 10 thoughts I'd like to share about Arizona and moving:
1. Mother Nature did an AMAZING job when she created Arizona! Some of her finest work! Then someone fucked it up with white people.
2. A hunnert years ago, Arizona was a pretty miserable place to live. People HAD to be hardy to survive. And they did survive. Folks here pretty hardy - in Wild West terms. i.e.: guns, tough sheriffs, every-man-for-himself toughness, etc.
3. Arizona does truly represent the last of the old Wild West Days. Still lots of cowboys here (think Shurf Joe A.). And lots of cowboy thinking. (Ya know, them cowboys wasn't too smarts)
4. Tea Party THRIVES here. Lot's of 'em. And they are running the show. Each one of them tries to out-crazy the rest - a race to the bottom. Whaddya going to do???
5. I tried to openly espouse progressive ideals. These ideals were not only rejected, they were ridiculed as "that librul bullshit". The same old me (moderate???) was magically transformed into a "raving liberal" once I crossed that AZ border. I have grown to accept that title, if only in AZ. Many other places - that's considered "normal". sighhh
6. In one relatively short drive of 750 miles, I will again magically transform - from ultraconservative AZ to ultraliberal San Francisco California! Me and Mrs. Scottsdalian find that quite liberating!!! Like we can breathe again!!!
7. Ironically, Mr and Mrs Scottsdalian do not rule out an eventual return to AZ for our retirement years. It's cheap living down here. I am essentially swapping my Scottsdale house for my CA house price-wise, but what a difference in lifestyle! Same price both cities, HUGE difference in lifestyle. Gotta admit......Scottsdale is a REALLY nice area to live. (It's just the people........!)
8. AZ is frickin miserable in the summertime, with stupidly-high temps. The other 7 months.....NICE! Especially compared to our hometown of Chicagoland. Chicago Winters? Stupidly-low temps. UGGHHHHHH!!! 6 months in both areas would be perfect!!!!!
9. Although Scottsdalian is retiring, his person goes on. Once we get established in our new home, I will create a new personna - but with the same witty comments as before! ;-)
10. On to our new adventure!!!!!